ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Clint Smith - Poet, educator
Clint Smith's work blends art and activism.

Why you should listen

Clint Smith is a writer, teacher and doctoral candidate at Harvard University studying education, incarceration and inequality. Previously, he taught high school English in Prince George’s County, Maryland where, in 2013, he was named the Christine D. Sarbanes Teacher of the Year by the Maryland Humanities Council.

Clint is a 2014 National Poetry Slam champion, an Individual World Poetry Slam Finalist, and author of the poetry collection Counting Descent. He has received fellowships from the National Science Foundation, Cave Canem and the Callaloo Creative Writing Workshop. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Guardian, Boston Review, American Poetry Review, Harvard Educational Review and elsewhere. He was born and raised in New Orleans, LA.

More profile about the speaker
Clint Smith | Speaker | TED.com
TED@NYC

Clint Smith: The danger of silence

Clint Smith: Opasnosti tišine

Filmed:
5,033,082 views

"Previše vremena provodimo slušajući ono što drugi ljudi govore, a propuštamo posvetiti pažnju onome što prešućuju." kaže Clint Smith, 'slam pjesnik' i učitelj. Kratko, snažno, zdušno izlaganje o nalaženju hrabrosti da se progovori protiv neukosti i nepravde.
- Poet, educator
Clint Smith's work blends art and activism. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:13
DrDr. MartinMartin LutherLuther KingKralj, JrJr.,
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Dr. Martin Luther King mlađi,
00:14
in a 1968 speechgovor where he reflectsodražava
uponna the CivilCivilnog RightsPrava MovementKretanje,
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u govoru iz 1968. u kojemu razmišlja
o Pokretu za građanska prava,
00:18
statesDržave, "In the endkraj,
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izjavljuje: "Na koncu,
00:21
we will rememberzapamtiti not the wordsriječi of our enemiesNeprijatelji
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pamtit ćemo ne samo
riječi naših neprijatelja,
00:24
but the silencetišina of our friendsprijatelji."
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već i šutnju naših prijatelja."
00:27
As a teacheručitelj, nastavnik, profesor, I've internalizedInternalizirani this messageporuka.
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Kao učitelj, ovu sam poruku
razumio i usvojio.
00:30
EverySvaki day, all around us,
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Svakodnevno i posvuda
00:31
we see the consequencesposljedice of silencetišina
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vidimo kako se posljedice šutnje
00:33
manifestmanifestirati themselvesse in the formoblik of discriminationdiskriminacije,
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manifestiraju u obliku diskriminacije,
00:36
violencenasilje, genocidegenocid and warrat.
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nasilja, genocida i rata.
00:39
In the classroomučionica, I challengeizazov my studentsstudenti
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U učionici, potičem svoje učenike
00:42
to exploreistražiti the silencestišine in theirnjihov ownvlastiti livesživot
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da istražuju šutnje u svojim životima
00:44
throughkroz poetrypoezija.
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kroz poeziju.
00:46
We work togetherzajedno to fillispuniti those spacesprostori,
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Zajedno nastojimo ispuniti praznine,
00:48
to recognizeprepoznati them, to nameime them,
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prepoznati ih, imenovati ih,
00:51
to understandrazumjeti that they don't
have to be sourcesizvori of shamesram.
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shvatiti da one ne trebaju
biti izvor srama.
00:54
In an effortnapor to createstvoriti a cultureKultura withinunutar my classroomučionica
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U nastojanju da stvorim kulturu
u svojoj učionici,
00:57
where studentsstudenti feel safesef sharingdijeljenje the intimaciesintimnost
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gdje će se učenici osjećati
sigurnima dijeliti
00:59
of theirnjihov ownvlastiti silencestišine,
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intimu vlastitih svojih šutnji,
01:01
I have fourčetiri coresrž principlesprincipi postedobjavljeno on the boardodbor
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četiri sam načela istaknuo na ploču
01:03
that sitssjedi in the frontispred of my classklasa,
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koja stoji pred mojim učenicima,
01:05
whichkoji everysvaki studentstudent signsznakovi
at the beginningpočetak of the yeargodina:
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a što svatko od njih potpiše
na početku školske godine:
01:08
readčitati criticallykritički, writepisati consciouslysvjesno,
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Čitaj kritički. Piši svjesno.
01:10
speakgovoriti clearlyjasno, tell your truthistina.
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Govori jasno. Reci svoju istinu.
01:14
And I find myselfsebe thinkingmišljenje a lot about that last pointtočka,
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Sam se često uhvatim u razmišljanju
o ovom posljednjem:
01:17
tell your truthistina.
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"Reci svoju istinu".
01:19
And I realizedshvatio that
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Shvatio sam da ću,
01:20
if I was going to askpitati my studentsstudenti to speakgovoriti up,
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budem li od svojih učenika
zahtijevao da govore,
01:23
I was going to have to tell my truthistina
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i sam morati govoriti svoju istinu,
01:25
and be honestpošten with them about the timesputa
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i iskreno s njima dijeliti one trenutke
01:27
where I failedneuspjeh to do so.
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kad u tome nisam uspijevao.
01:29
So I tell them that growingrastući up,
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Stoga im govorim kako su mi,
01:31
as a kiddijete in a CatholicKatolička familyobitelj in NewNovi OrleansOrleans,
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kao djetetu u katoličkoj obitelji
u New Orleansu,
01:33
duringza vrijeme LentKorizma I was always taughtučio
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tijekom korizme uvijek govorili
01:36
that the mostnajviše meaningfulznačajan thing one could do
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da je najznačajnije što se može učiniti:
01:38
was to give something up,
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odreći se nečega,
01:39
sacrificežrtva something you typicallytipično indulgeupuštati in
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žrtvovati nešto čemu se inače prepuštate
01:42
to provedokazati to God you understandrazumjeti his sanctitySvetost.
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kako biste dokazali Bogu
da razumijete njegovu svetost.
01:44
I've givendan up sodasoda, McDonald'sMcDonald's, Frenchfrancuski frieskrumpir,
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Odricao sam se mineralne vode,
hamburgera, pomfrita,
01:47
Frenchfrancuski kissesljubi, and everything in betweenizmeđu.
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ljubljenja, i svega ostaloga.
01:50
But one yeargodina, I gavedali up speakinggovor.
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Ali, jedne godine
odrekao sam se govorenja.
01:54
I figuredshvaćen the mostnajviše valuablevrijedan thing I could sacrificežrtva
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Mislio sam da bi najvrednije
što bih mogao žrtvovati
01:56
was my ownvlastiti voiceglas, but it was like I hadn'tnije realizedshvatio
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bio moj glas, ali kao da nisam shvaćao
02:00
that I had givendan that up a long time agoprije.
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da sam se davno toga bio odrekao.
02:03
I spentpotrošen so much of my life
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Toliko sam svoga života potratio
02:05
tellingreći people the things they wanted to hearčuti
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govoreći drugima ono što su željeli čuti
02:07
insteadumjesto of the things they neededpotreban to,
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umjesto onoga što su trebali.
02:08
told myselfsebe I wasn'tnije meantznačilo to be anyone'sbilo tko je consciencesavjest
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Govorio sam sebi da ne bih
trebao biti ničija savjest
02:11
because I still had to figurelik out beingbiće my ownvlastiti,
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jer sam još trebao naći
načina to biti sam sebi.
02:13
so sometimesponekad I just wouldn'tne bi say anything,
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Tako da ponekad
ne bih rekao ništa,
02:16
appeasingzadovoljavanje ignoranceneznanje with my silencetišina,
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popuštajući nečijem
neznanju svojom šutnjom,
02:19
unawarenesvjestan that validationProvjera valjanosti doesn't need wordsriječi
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nesvjestan da potvrđivanju
nisu potrebne riječi
02:21
to endorseodobrava its existencepostojanje.
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da bi se dogodilo.
02:23
When ChristianKršćanski was beatpobijediti up for beingbiće gayhomoseksualac,
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Kad su Christiana tukli jer je bio gej,
02:25
I put my handsruke in my pocketdžep
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zavukao sam ruke u džepove
02:26
and walkedhodao with my headglava
down as if I didn't even noticeobavijest.
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i hodao pognute glave
praveći se da ne primjećujem.
02:29
I couldn'tne mogu use my lockerormarić for weeksTjedni
because the boltvijak on the lockzaključati
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Tjednima nisam koristio
svoj ormarić zbog zasuna na bravi,
02:31
remindedpodsjetio me of the one I had put on my lipsusne
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koji me podsjećao na onoga na mojim usnama
02:33
when the homelessbez krova nad glavom man on the cornerugao
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kad je beskućnik na uglu
02:35
lookedgledao at me with eyesoči up merelysamo searchingu potrazi
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pogledom tražio potvrdu
02:37
for an affirmationafirmacija that he was worthvrijedan seeingvidim.
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kako je on vrijedan moga pogleda.
02:39
I was more concernedzabrinut with
touchingdirljiv the screenzaslon on my AppleApple
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Bio sam zaokupljeniji ekranom svoga Applea
02:41
than actuallyzapravo feedinghranjenje him one.
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umjesto da ga nahranim jabukom.
02:43
When the womanžena at the fundraisingprikupljanje sredstava galaGala
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Kad je žena na donatorskoj svečanosti
02:45
said "I'm so proudponos of you.
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rekla: "Ponosim se tobom.
02:46
It mustmora be so hardteško teachingnastava
those poorsiromašan, unintelligentneinteligentan kidsdjeca,"
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Sigurno je teško poučavati
tu jadnu, neinteligentnu djecu.",
02:49
I bitbit my lipza usne, because apparentlyočigledno
we neededpotreban her moneynovac
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ugrizao sam se za usnu jer
smo očito trebali njen novac
02:51
more than my studentsstudenti neededpotreban theirnjihov dignitydostojanstvo.
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više no što su učenici
trebali dostojanstvo.
02:53
We spendprovesti so much time
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Toliko vremena provodimo
02:55
listeningslušanje to the things people are sayingizreka
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slušajući što drugi ljudi govore,
02:59
that we rarelyrijetko payplatiti attentionpažnja to the things they don't.
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a propuštamo obratiti pažnju
na ono što prešućuju.
03:03
SilenceTišina is the residuetalog of fearstrah.
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Šutnja je talog što ga ostavlja strah.
03:06
It is feelingosjećaj your flawsmane
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To je osjećaj da vaše mane
03:07
gut-wrenchcrijeva-ključ guillotineGiljotina your tonguejezik.
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mučki giljotiniraju vaš jezik.
03:09
It is the airzrak retreatingpovlače from your chestgrudi
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To je zrak koji se povlači iz vaših prsa
03:11
because it doesn't feel safesef in your lungspluća.
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jer se ne osjeća sigurnim u vašim plućima.
03:13
SilenceTišina is RwandanRuandi genocidegenocid. SilenceTišina is KatrinaKatrina.
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Šutnja je genocid u Ruandi.
Šutnja je Katrina.
03:16
It is what you hearčuti when there
aren'tnisu enoughdovoljno bodytijelo bagsvrećice left.
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To je ono što čujete kad više
nema dovoljno vreća za leševe.
03:19
It is the soundzvuk after the nooseomča is alreadyveć tiedvezan.
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To je zvuk koji se čuje
pošto se omča stegne.
03:22
It is charringznaku. It is chainslanci. It is privilegeprivilegija. It is painbol.
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To je karbonizacija. To su okovi.
To su povlastice. To je bol.
03:25
There is no time to pickodabrati your battlesbitke
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Nema vremena da odabirete svoje bitke
03:27
when your battlesbitke have alreadyveć pickedizabran you.
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kad su one već odabrale vas.
03:29
I will not let silencetišina wrapomotati itselfsebe around my indecisionneodlučnost.
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Neću dopustiti šutnji da se
omota oko moje neodlučnosti.
03:32
I will tell ChristianKršćanski that he is a lionLav,
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Reći ću Christianu da je on lav,
03:34
a sanctuarysvetište of braveryhrabrost and brilliancesjaj.
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hram odvažnosti i blistavosti.
03:36
I will askpitati that homelessbez krova nad glavom man what his nameime is
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Upitat ću onog beskućnika kako mu je ime,
03:38
and how his day was, because sometimesponekad
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i kakav mu je bio dan, jer katkad je
03:40
all people want to be is humanljudski.
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'čovjek' sve što ljudi žele biti.
03:42
I will tell that womanžena that my studentsstudenti can talk about
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Reći ću toj ženi da
moji učenici mogu govoriti
03:45
transcendentalismtranscendencije like theirnjihov last nameime was ThoreauThoreau,
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o transcendentalizmu kao
da se prezivaju Thoreau,
03:47
and just because you watchedgledao
one episodeEpizoda of "The WireŽica"
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i da to što je pogledala
jednu epizodu "Žice"
03:49
doesn't mean you know anything about my kidsdjeca.
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ne znači da išta zna o mojim klincima.
03:51
So this yeargodina,
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Stoga ove godine,
03:53
insteadumjesto of givingdavanje something up,
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umjesto da se nečega odreknem,
03:55
I will liveživjeti everysvaki day as if there were a microphonemikrofon
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živjet ću svaki dan kao da mi je mikrofon
03:58
tuckedpršnjak underpod my tonguejezik,
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zamotan pod jezikom,
04:00
a stagefaza on the undersidedonjoj of my inhibitioninhibicija.
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na pozornici u podnožju moje inhibicije.
04:04
Because who has to have a soapboxgovornica
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Jer, kome treba tribina
04:06
when all you've ever neededpotreban is your voiceglas?
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kad je sve što ste
oduvijek trebali - vaš glas.
04:10
Thank you.
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Hvala vam.
04:12
(ApplausePljesak)
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(Pljesak)
Translated by Mladen Barešić
Reviewed by Ivan Stamenkovic

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Clint Smith - Poet, educator
Clint Smith's work blends art and activism.

Why you should listen

Clint Smith is a writer, teacher and doctoral candidate at Harvard University studying education, incarceration and inequality. Previously, he taught high school English in Prince George’s County, Maryland where, in 2013, he was named the Christine D. Sarbanes Teacher of the Year by the Maryland Humanities Council.

Clint is a 2014 National Poetry Slam champion, an Individual World Poetry Slam Finalist, and author of the poetry collection Counting Descent. He has received fellowships from the National Science Foundation, Cave Canem and the Callaloo Creative Writing Workshop. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Guardian, Boston Review, American Poetry Review, Harvard Educational Review and elsewhere. He was born and raised in New Orleans, LA.

More profile about the speaker
Clint Smith | Speaker | TED.com